We have recently appointed our new Chief Executive Officer (November 2022). Peter Burks, who has a wealth of horticultural industry experience, having spent nearly 40 years working in the sector, and was a previous GCA Chairman, has taken over from Iain Wylie. Inundated with applications Tammy Woodhouse, our Chairman said: “We are delighted to announce…
Our members will hear from a serial entrepreneur, former Chief Finance Officer and adventurer on how to achieve ‘big bold goals’ at our annual conference in Blackburn (January 22 until 25, 2023). Caspar Craven, who has twice sailed around the world and is a leading voice on leadership and the fundamental role high-performance teamwork plays,…
Consultant, public speaker and author Linbert Spencer OBE will be presenting at our annual conference in Blackburn in January (January 22 until 25, 2023). Garden centre owners, managers and their teams will hear from Linbert on Monday, January 23 and discover how to leverage diversity to enhance their organisation’s corporate culture and business outcomes. His…
Garden centre customers were updating their wardrobes during September and potentially planning for the colder months according to our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report (2022). Sales in clothing departments were up 5.79% compared to the same month last year (2021). Planning ahead After some good weather in August and September, it seems our garden centre…
We are thrilled that our annual conference will be back for January (January 22-25, 2023) after previously being postponed due to Covid in 2021 and 2022. We wanted to let people know booking for the event is now open, so if you are hoping to attend, please visit the members’ section of our website via…
THE GARDEN Centre Association (GCA) has announced (October 2022) that its annual conference will return in January (January 22-25, 2023) after previously being postponed due to Covid in 2021 and 2022. The conference, which will include talks, industry updates and opportunities to network, takes place at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Lancashire…
We have officially started our recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer. Our CEO will work closely with our Executive committee to lead the organisation. The successful individual will have ultimate responsibility and accountability for the Association. They will work closely with the Executive committee to lead the organisation, influence, and implement the strategic…
Everyone at the GCA is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former Inspector, Ian Boardman. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Ian when he was as an Inspector for us, and he was instrumental in improving our inspection process. He was a huge part of the horticultural industry, with a fantastic knowledge, which…
Furniture and barbecue sales remained positive throughout August according to our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report (2022). Sales in the outdoor entertainment department were up 26.93% compared to the same month last year (2022), despite other areas flagging in the heat. After the heatwave in July, we continued to see good weather in August, which…
We recently (September 2022) visited the Four Oaks Trade Show’s 50th anniversary show and met current and potential new members and we’d like to thank everyone who came along to see us. We participated in the new Educate, Collaborate & Innovate zone, which featured all the major associations, membership groups and charities that operate in…